Citizens for Informed Land Use Hear about Baykeeper Developments

Twenty-five people attended a meeting of the Citizens for Informed Land Use ) at the Holmdel Community center on Feb. 9.

Greg Remaud, deputy director of the New York / New Jersey Baykeeper’s Association, updated the citizen group on the latest developments concerning the following open space and environmental restoration sites. Here are some highlights:

• Liberty State Park, Jersey City. Land is continuing to be redeveloped to recreate the robust ecosystem that was originally located in the park.
• Cheesequake State Park, Matawan / La Mer development of Sayreville encroachment. The Baykeeper’s organization continues to repair damage to streams and wetlands caused by the development of a residential neighborhood on the other side of Cheesequake Creek.
• Cheesequake Creek Inlet lead slag jetty and sea wall. The area has been designated a superfund site, dangerous sections of the beach and walkway have been blocked off and authorities continue to perform studies to decide what the best way will be to prevent environmental damage from the breakdown of heavy metals.
• National Lead factory, Sayreville. The land is being cleaned up by National Lead, and a lawsuit is pending to ensure it also cleans up the water.
• Bachstadt Tract, Holmdel- Hazardous materials have been removed from the tract, and cleanup of trash is finished.  No further development is planned, as trails have been improved and marked, and a small parking area was finished and landscaped.  These improvements were completed by many volunteers under the coordination of Friends of Holmdel Open Space (FOHOS)
• Mahoras Reserve and Waackaack Creek. Plans for the creation of a ‘greenway’ continue as Holmdel and Hazlet negotiate ownership and land rights, ensuring the land is protected for generations to come.
• Oyster population restoration and water filtration project, Keyport Harbor and the Navesink River in New Jersey. Plans to sink banks of cages with thousands of oysters in them to help filter water and restore the environment experienced setbacks with the Department of Environmental Protection, but negotiations continue and the project has not been abandoned.

For more information: www.holmdel-cilu.org or www.nynjbaykeeper.org.